Check your cat’s Body Condition Score

21st November 2013

2013-11-21

Most of you would expect that weighing your cat would be the best way to tell, however, this is probably one of the least accurate methods. A healthy weight for one cat may not be a healthy weight for another, and healthy weights in adult cats can vary massively from 2kg or less to up to 6kg or more, depending on the breed and size of the pet.

So what method should we use to check our cats’ weights?

There are procedures used in human medicine to calculate whether or not a person is a healthy weight, such as Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio, therefore, you may not be surprised to find out that there are similar systems developed for assessing a cat’s weight.

One of the best systems available to use at home is the “body condition score” and it is easy for you to check your pet, although your cat’s vet or vet nurse will be more than happy to guide you through how to do this if you just ask them!

It is important that you don’t just look at your cat when you body condition score them, but that you also use palpation (touch), particularly in longhaired pets, as it can be easy to over or under-estimate their condition score if sight alone is used.

Palpate your cat, without applying any pressure, over the ribs, spinal column, lumbar muscles and hips.

If you have any concerns about your pet’s weight, don’t hesitate to contact their veterinary surgeon for further advice.